LinkedIn launches database of volunteer opportunities

NEW YORK -- Professional networking site LinkedIn is now letting its users search for volunteer positions in addition to paid jobs.

LinkedIn on Wednesday launched a "volunteer marketplace," which lets users browse volunteer opportunities posted by nonprofit groups. Nonprofits, meanwhile, can reach out to LinkedIn users who have expressed an interest in volunteering.

LinkedIn says it is working with volunteer-matching organizations such as Catchafire, VolunteerMatch and BoardSource to make sure that the volunteer opportunities listed on its site are "high quality."

Mountain View-based LinkedIn is the world's largest online professional network with 259 million users as of the end of September. Its Class A shares rose $1.06 to $217.28 in morning trading, and have risen more than 84 percent in the past year.